Poker Game
by Ozy the Talking Haystack
Summary: To save a life, you gamble. That is the natural order of things. One knows this well.


POKER GAME

By Ozy the Talking Haystack

One had no idea why on earth he was doing this.

Maybe it was the desperate look on Five and Seven's faces. Maybe it was the way Nine looked, limp and lifeless at Eight's feet, his eyes glazed, his sides barely moving to show that he was still breathing. Maybe it was the gashes that covered Nine's back and that oozed oil onto the floor, the '9' that marked him slit into ribbons.

Or maybe it was because One secretly needed Nine, although he'd never admitted it. He needed somebody who'd be able to take care of the others when it was his time to go. He needed somebody who'd be able to take his place as leader. So far, out of all the dolls, Nine seemed to be the most capable of doing that.

He couldn't take the torch, however, if he was dead. One took a deep breath. He was scared out of his mind (what coward wasn't?) yet had a clear enough thought process to understand what he had to do. After all, he had done this before.

Of course, back then it was his own life he was saving, and that was by running, not by a game of chance…

Where to do it? And what to bargain with?

"Seven!" He barked. The young warrior jerked her head up, startled. "Did you kill the Cat Beast who did this?"

"I severely injured it, and it wouldn't have gotten far." Seven said, gripping her spear. "Shall I slay it?"

"No. Go after it and bring it back to the cathedral. I want it bound but alive. Understand?"

"Er…yes." Seven took off running then, but not before giving One a puzzled look. It was a direct reversal. You were supposed to lead beasts away from the cathedral, not towards it.

"Eight, take Nine and follow me. The rest of you, back to the cathedral. Let's go!"

* * *

In the end, One chose the small room. It was in the very back of the cathedral, and may have originally been a broom closet long since emptied out. It was dusty, it was dark, and, best of all, it was out of the way. One shoved the door open and stepped in, followed by Eight. The huge doll was soaked with oil. Six came scampering in with an armful of blankets and set them down on the floor, and Eight gently laid Nine's body facedown onto the rags, making a little nest for him. Then he and Six stood up, waiting for One's next orders.

"Anything you need?" Eight rumbled. He knew better than to ask questions.

"Yes. I need a candle, a box of matches, and your deck of cards. Also, when Seven comes in I need you to direct her and her capture down here. Afterwards, I want all of you to come here, as I have some important instructions to give."

Eight nodded and he and Six scrambled out of the room. One looked around, then knelt down beside Nine's prone form. He adjusted a blanket around Nine's head to allow him to breathe better. Nine was unconscious, so he could not do this himself.

Shortly afterwards Eight came back with the box of matches and the pack of cards in his chest pocket, with Six awkwardly lugging the short candle behind him. For short-term light they usually used birthday candles, but this was long-term. A very short, fat taper was needed. One got up and directed Eight to place the box of matches at Nine's feet, lengthwise, like a table. The candle was placed at Nine's side, but not yet lit.

Seven came in at a quarter-past midnight, dragging in the Cat Beast in with the assistance of Five. It had been quite severely injured, and it was having difficulty even breathing. Seven had bound its limbs and mouth shut, just to make sure.

"Why do you want this again? It'll never last the night." She said, breathing heavily after dragging the Cat Beast as far away from One and Nine as was possible in the small room.  
_That's what I'm counting on._ One took the doll-sized pack of cards from Eight, then glanced over as 2 arrived, panting for breath. Good, they were all here save the Twins and they were in the library so they would be no trouble.

"Everybody listen up, this is important." One said. All chatter died away instantly.

"Tonight you will leave me in here alone. I will be staying with Nine and our little…guest." One said, gesturing towards the wounded Cat Beast. "No matter what happens, nobody is to come in here on pain of banishment without trial." There was a soft muted gasp and several murmurs. If the dolls didn't think this was serious before, they sure did now. One meant what he said. "Have I made myself clear?" There were some soft nods and quiet mutters of "Yes."

"Good. Eight, if I do not come out of here by mid-day tomorrow you may come in to see what happened, but other than that I intend to come out myself. Dismissed."  
The dolls quickly but quietly filed out. Seven left last, having paused long enough to give Nine a soft kiss on the top of the head. She gave One a long, lingering look that said more than a thousand words would, then shut the door behind her. Utter darkness. One settled himself down on one rag he had set aside for a cushion, his eyes adjusting to the dark. It was going to be a long night.

Periodically he got up and checked the health of both patients, although there was not much to check. The Cat Beast's eyes were dimming to a darker, strangely more pleasant shade of red, but had not quite gone out. Nine was barely breathing. The rags around him had become soaked with oil. It wouldn't be long now, One reasoned. He took out a match and struck it against the floor. Flames temporarily blinded him, and the sweet smell of carbon drifted around him with the smoke. He blinked, then solemnly lit the candle and blew out the match. _Any minute now. _

The minutes slipped past. Then an hour. One never took his eyes off the flame. His hand rested on Nine's left elbow, making sure that he did not suddenly grow cold. The Cat Beast turned its head towards the little patch of firelight.

The flame flickered. It would have passed unnoticed by anyone who had not been concentrating on it for awhile.

One took a soft breath, and--

"Good evening." He said.

**Good evening**. Said a voice next to his head. One breathed out, slowly.

"Come and sit where I can see you. That's good manners."

**I recognize your voice. Clearly we have met before, 1.**

"Yes. I met you in the Chancellor's office."

The tall, black-robed figure walked across the floor and sat down at the box of matches, kneeling down and placing his white hands on the box. He placed his scythe down on the floor, then pushed back his hood to reveal his face. One folded his arms and stared calmly at the figure, meeting his gaze eye-to-socket. It leaned forward. The wavering candlelight threw snippets of shadows onto his human skull, which had an eerie resemblance to One's own head.

**Are you afraid of me?  
**

One leaned forward and blew out the candle. In the darkness he stared ahead defiantly, thankful for the fact that the sudden change in light meant that he couldn't see the creature.

After an uncomfortable silence the voice said, **All right, you've made your point. **One lit another match. Its flare illuminated the skull opposite, which hadn't moved. Nine breathed in softly, a raspy noise that would have attracted vultures everywhere if they had heard it.

"Fair enough," he said as he relit the candle. "We don't want to be sitting here all night, do we? How many have you come for?"

**One.  
**"Myself or the number?"

**The number, smart arse**. One bit down a smile.

"The Cat Beast?"

The figure shook its head.

"It could be the Cat Beast." One said hopefully, although his heart was sinking.

**No. That would be changing history.  
**

"History is about things changing!"

**No**.

One sat back. He had expected this.

"Then I challenge you to a game. That's traditional. That's allowed." The figure went quiet for a moment. Instinctively One's hand went to Nine's elbow again. Nine stirred slightly.

**This is true.**

"Good."

**However…you do understand that to win it all you have to bet it all?  
**

One was prepared for this, although he was secretly terrified. "Double or quits? Yes, I know."

**But not chess.  
**

"Very well. How about a hand of poker then?" He said, drawing out the cards. "Five cards each, no draws? Sudden death, as it's called."

The figure thought about this too.

**You are friends with this one?** He said, gesturing to Nine's prone form.

"Truthfully, no." One said.

**Then why?  
**

"Shall we play or not?"

**Bah, very well**.

One picked up the pack of cards, wearing a smile on his face while silently praying to Anyone that happened to be listening that Eight's cards would serve him well. He dealt five cards each.

He looked at his hand and silently breathed a _thank you_. He tossed down the cards. Four queens.

**That is very high.** The black-clad figure looked at his cards, then up at One's narrow-eyed gaze. Neither moved for quite some time.

Then Death laid his cards on the table.

**Your friend is blessed.** He said. Four ones. One nodded and extended a hand. They shook over the table. Death's bony hand was freezing.

"Take the Cat Beast."

**There is value in the creature.  
**

"Nine has greater value still. Who knows what he will become?" One said softly.

The figure stood up and picked its scythe. It wandered over to where the Cat Beast was lying. The beast didn't even try to fight. It just lowered its head. There was soft exhale, and that was it.

One looked down at Nine. The slashes on his back were gone, and he was sleeping softly. One absentmindedly patted his elbow, then looked up. Death had disappeared. There was one final whisper.

**We will meet again.  
**

"I'd be lying if I said I was looking forward to it." One quipped. There was the sound of laughter, like clattering bones, then nothing.

Author's Notes: This was based after a scene in a Discworld novel I once read. Basically, what would happen if the Discworld's Death existed in the '9' universe? This is my answer.


End file.
